Marching On
by LunnarChild
Summary: AU Percy is like everyone else, or so he thought...as far he knows he another regular high school student trying to get through the year. But when killer chearleaders and giant poodles threaten his life, he starts to think otherwise. With the war fast approaching, Percy struggles to remember who he is and why he is diffrent because when Olympus needs a hero will he remember enough?
1. Straying from the Track

_ I don't own Percy Jackson otherwise I would sue the movie._

Book cover icon thingy from: favourites/51100493?offset=72#/d2l1x11 by benlikesit (Thank You!)

WARNING! This will be a eventually a Perabeth as you call but not the entire story. Because I dont have Microsoft document if I miss spell something don't sue. And last note as much as I dislike how the movie was done, there will be some movie refrences. Percy mybe a little OC but i'll try to keep him to the sarcastic, somewhat thick headed hero we all know and love along with all the other characters.

Summary: Percy like all highschoolers is trying to survive everyday challenges; getting good grades, trying to keep his girlfriend happy and stay out of trouble. Hah! If only, Percy struggles to keep his grades a C- average, his girlfriend dumped him at the begining of the year and stay of touble, pleas this is Percy. However after after being chased by a dog big enough to be a horse, Percy's world starts to fall apart as he realise all his memories are fake. With a war barring down on the gang on all sides, Percy struggles to remember who and what he is. Because when Olympus needs a hero will he remember enough to save the day when he can barelly remember to turn in his science project?

Chapter 1, Straying from the Track

You might know who I am, I'm Percy but I'm not _that_ Percy. You get me? Not really? Okay then, there are beings called Chaos and the Fates that overlook multiple scenarios that could or can happen. You know me with my killer (figure of speech) invincibility, one of the Heroes of Olympus and forbidden child of Poseidon, one of the Big Three and all that Jazz…but in this story, in this world I'm not him. I don't know about the Fates, I don't know about thee prophesy, I don't know about the gods or even my best friends "condition". To be honest it's about me trying to figure out who I am when everyone tells me that I don't. When you remember nothing but a bunch of fake memories how do _not_ want to know who you were? Now where to start, well we could start in the dorms when I nearly get my butt kicked by a bunch of cheerleaders of doom or when I call my best (and only real) friend a "freak", ya I know I'm a horses rear end but it really shocked me. Just kind of thinking about it I'd say it started on our class trip to the museum, dreaming of someone who escaped my mind…

My eyes snapped open as I was jerked awake. Blinking, to adjust my eyes to the strained sunlight, I fiddled around my backpack to find my sunglasses and struggled to remember where I was. Flashes of gold hair, a distant echoing voice and a name popped into mind however it evaded me, taunting me with aloof recognition as if trying to catch thin air with a butterfly and just as productive. Too bad it was a good dream...even though I couldn't remember enough to save my own skin.

Looking around pieces started to come back together, it was easy when I could see Nancy Bobofit smirking. I was on a bus with twenty-eight mental-case teens heading to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at ancient Greek and Roman stuff for extra credit. After hours of asking myself "why, _why_?" while dramatically throwing my hands in the air. I would stand around bored and tortured with crumbling artifacts; I started to remember my reasons. This particular bus going to join up with a few other schools, including the students of Clarion Ladies Academy. Where Rachel was currently attending….and for the record I'm not a stalker.

I rested my elbows on my pack as I stared out at the world just beyond this sheet of glass. Cars inched along in traffic and pedestrians passed in a continuous swarm as we pulled to the curb. Automatically my hand reached into my pocket where her picture was hidden. I rubbed it with my thumb and index and middle finger, the picture was worn and torn after its endless handling.

Finally the buss came to halt and died with its rumbling growl hanging in air and shaking my teeth. Restless students shot up and grabbing their stuff and running for the door leaving their friends behind. One of the chaperones stood up yelling over the talking students to mind their behavior and telling us we represent the students and faculty. Knowing this would take a while I didn't bother getting up, though the gaps in the line to leave I saw Grover do the same thing. As students shuffled pasted I saw he gave me a small sheepish smile, I was about to give him a smile back when something that suspiciously felt like dumbbells (or more likely bricks) hit the back of my head. For a second I saw stars before looking up and seeing Matt Sloan and his goons waddling by painfully slow. I could feel where he hit me start to throb and I knew it was going to leave a bump the size of a baseball. When it was finally our turn to leave Grover's smile was replaced with a mixture of concern and pity. I saw an opening in the line and went for it, cutting off Grover. He fell back in his seat with a yelp but it was drowned out by the hum of other students chatting away. I was suddenly was overcome by guilt, it sat in the pit of my stomach like an upset porcupine. Once I was off the bus I stayed by the door waiting for him to walk out, he stumbled on the last step. Reaching out I caught him by the arm until he was stabilized on the solid sidewalk, his bag sagged on his arm and his Rasta cap slightly tilted. "Thanks Percy."

"Sorry," I earned a strange look from Grover, "...about on the bus," ashamed I rubbed the back of my neck not looking at him.

He laughed saying, "It's all forgotten." An unknown weight was lifted from my shoulders though a bit of guilt still lingered in my gut. I smiled and we joined the mass of teenagers waiting in front of the museum. I had a soft spot for Grover for some unapparent reason maybe he was the only one that could qualify as a "friend" and was an easy target by others.

Grover was thin for a senior, he cried when he was frustrated though he said that old line "something's in my eye", and to top it off he was crippled. He had this strange dieses in his legs excusing him from PE for life and walked with a limp. Almost as if each step was painful but boy, when it was enchilada day it was either make way or get ready for track marks on your back. I once made the mistake of getting in the way and sorely regretted it, literally. I still have his skid marks permanently burned into my back and that was at the beginning of the _year_. I didn't know him really well, he was in a few of my classes like history but we'd sit next to each other at lunch. We didn't talk much, you know a few conversations here and there but we just sat in the others company trying to ignore the fact we had no one else.

A few other busses lined up with more students streaming out of it. Some of them were wearing uniforms but none that I knew, not the uniform I was looking for. I felt a nudge next to me and saw that Grover was looking at me. He waited patiently on the steps as the crowd moved on in, "I'll catch up, I don't want you to get in trouble."

He gapped like a fish opening his mouth like he wanted to say something but I gave him a reassuring smile forcing him up the stairs. I sighed turning around trying to find her in the sea of faces; instead I saw something I didn't count on. Across the street on the sidewalk was a teenager no older than I was. The kid struck a chord in my head and my mind snapped back to one of my dreams, one like all the rest I couldn't remember. He wore an aviator jacket over a black skull tee and black skinny jeans, even from here across four lanes of traffic I could see his charcoal black eyes set on me under his messy ebony hair not so unlike mine. His hands hidden in his pockets, his face unreadable but the message was clear as day and night. Chills crept up my spine as I could almost hear his voice, _"Be prepared."_

"Percy?" Grover was behind me with concern sketched his face. I glanced over my shoulder and he was gone. "Percy you okay man?"

"Ya, thought I saw something," my voice was nothing more than a whisper and it didn't seem to ease Grover one bit. Putting on a smile I lead Grover up the steps. "Come on history is waiting."

"You hate history," we laughed and I forgot all about the boy. Inside we walked pasted old marble statues and glass cases with black and orange pottery.

It was strange to think after all this time; this stuff has lasted thousands of years. Grover was wrong, I liked history, and I just didn't see how it was very useful. Especially mythology, it was just ways for primitive cultures to explain how things were created or how things worked. It was just interesting how they saw the world. You really expect me to believe that there was Greek Gods that bickered and hooked up with mortals and messed with the mortal realm for kicks? Sorry I'm not that gullible. Thunder pounded outside and Grover jumped.

The mass of students started whispering about. Girlfriends clung to their boyfriends acting pathetic and weak while their boyfriends smirked to their friends. Others already started to sneak off to make out in the janitors closet, I just rolled my eyes as the chaperones tried calming everyone down. When all else failed Mrs. Dodds materialize out of thin air it was almost instantaneous silence. A smile that could pass for legally pass for insane and psychopathic developed on her face.

"Thank you Mrs. Dodds," one male teacher said. My eyes fell as the crowd parted for him to pass it took all my will not to stare, too much. He was middle age guy that sat in a motorized wheelchair. He had thinning hair and a scruffy beard and a tweed jacket that smelled strangely of coffee as he passed. His gaze passed me and straight to Grover who smiled and lit up and nodded. Mrs. Dodds on the other hand frowned crossing her arms against her chest and for me who was her prime victim, from experience I knew she was pissed.

Mrs. Dodds was this small math teacher from Georgia who always wore this black leather jacket no matter how hot it was even if it was a hundred degrees (she'd probably turn up the heat), she must've been fifty years old however I wouldn't be surprised if she was older than the dinosaurs. Even though she is mean enough to ride a Harley into your locker, she always acted like that insane and gooey grandmother who said "now honey" really sickly sweet then dumped bricks on you head. She came half way through the school year when our last math teacher had a nervous breakdown (not that I could blame her), I felt bad for the Mr. Dodds if he was still alive. I had my doubts though.

Grover whimpered just loud enough for me to hear. Smiling I changed the subject to the teacher that had just passed us and started to tease him. Grover suddenly grew a backbone and told me off and that I shouldn't judge people I've never met. Shocked and a bit embarrassed I asked Grover if he knew him. Grover nodded with a friendly smile saying "Ya, he was my Latin teacher. He's _very_ cool." but not before hesitating. One brow rose but I didn't question it just said, "I'll take your word for it."

He smiled like he knew something I didn't, "...only if you knew."

The male teacher started his lecture as we walked through the echoing gallery. Bored and tired I dug out my IPod and stuck one bud in and turned on the music. I tried paying attention but as fatigue wore off it was replaced by restlessness so my attention wandered. We then started to approach huge stone statues of Greek gods.

"There are twelve Olympian gods; the big three are the brothers Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Many of these gods and goddess as you could say, Hooked up and produced offspring. The children of these gods where half human half gods..." Turning to the mob of half bored students he raised his hands pointing out the brothers. Zeus had a confidant look on his face as he leaned on staff thingy with his sleeveless bath robe hanging loosely on him. Hades looked warped where his face looked grim and angry as he fended off what looked like a love child of an eel and a snake the size of a shark, with a sword. Poseidon was the one that caught my eye the most, his face was unreadable maybe to interpret what others thought. I saw determination and perhaps sadness, of what I had no idea; his marble chest was bear with only what look like a bed sheet covering his lower half. In one hand was a three pronged spear that he attempted to hide behind his back with his other arm out either warning or reaching. I would have stayed there longer if I didn't hear Nancy and Sloan behind me. Rolling my eyes at their immaturity I muttered "grow up," and walked away to join Grover who stared at the bust of Zeus in awe.

"Can you believe them?" I asked jerking my head to Nancy and Sloan still laughing at the statues. Grover shook his head, "Come on, some people just have no respect..."

We gathered around a thirteen-foot-tall column with a big sphinx on the top, and Grover's teacher started to explain about how it was a grave marker, _steel_, for a girl about or younger than us. He told in perfect detail about the carvings in the side, because I had to admit it was getting interesting, but everybody was talking and every time I told them to shut it, Mrs. Dodds looked ready to pumble me but instead gave me the Evil eye. For those lucky enough never to meet the evil bat, the Evil eye was a smoldering glare that was a mix of a predatory stare and a psychotic and psychopathic scowl that was so intense it would cause the earths magma filled core to freeze and the arctic circle to burst into flames.

Grover's old Latin teacher continued on about the funeral art either oblivious or ignoring us. I managed to hear some girl making a comment on it but instead I hear Nancy snicker something into her boyfriend's ear about the naked guy on the steel, and I turned around snapping, _"Will you shut up?"_

It came out louder than I intended would be an understatement.

Everyone laughed. Grover's teacher finally noticed me and stopped his story. It was only then I noticed his eyes. There where brown but it was more than that, if time had a look then it was his eyes. They were old in a sense it seemed primeval and he looked wary and tired. I once saw a solider ride the subway once before, it was the same look of a man off to or from war. It was a look I couldn't understand.

"Yes Mr..." he baited, Grover looked at me, "Suesrep. Percy Suesrep."

"Mr. Suesrep," he said working the name out on his tong. "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?" he asked pointing to steel.

It looked familiar but I couldn't grasp where I saw it from. It was like thinking of a line from a movie you liked but couldn't remember where it was from or who said it. Shaking my head, "No sir, sorry."

There was a flicker of disappointment before scanning the crowd, "Perhaps someone can help Mr. Suesrep...ah, Ms. Chase would you help Percy?"

I looked around for Chase with Grover turning our heads but it was like she was invisible with nothing but her voice to define her, "That's lord Kronos King of Time and the Titans," she said bitterly, "who ate his children but Zeus because they are gods. It was only later when Zeus grew up he tricked his father into eating a mixture of mustard and wine thus Kronos would be forced into throwing up his other four children. Once that was done a horrible war raged between gods and titans but it was the gods who became victorious. Zeus then cut up his father into pieces with his own scythe which Kronos used to cut up his father, before tossing them in the Tartarus."

Some girl around me squealed "Eeewww" and made gaging noises.

Behind me, Nancy Bobofit mumbled, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, _'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids.'_"

"Thank you misses for your excellent question," the Latin teacher commented. "Now Mr. Suesrep, to paraphrase the young lady's question, how would your studies apply to real life?"

Amused that Grover's ex-teacher called Nancy a _"Lady"_ and managed to hear her, I racked my brain for an answer. "Um, action's come back to...haunt...you? I don't know sir."

Once more a flicker of disappointment flashed across his face. "Thank you Miss Chase, Mr. Suesrep, now on that happy note, Mrs...Mrs. Dodds was it? Would you help the other chaperones escort everyone to lunch?"

The mingling mass passed by. Some of the more fragile girls were holding their stomachs and guys went back being idots. Some of the other chaperones started splitting up the mass into the correct school groups. Slightly deflated I looked up and saw a flash of red hair. Not just any red hair, through the mass I could see a glimpse of her freckled face. My own stomach leapt to my throat, disabling my ability to speak. After taking a few steps and finally able to open my mouth I was stopped by the Latin teacher, "Percy wait pleas." I turned around to see Grover's Teacher resting his chin on the back of his hands. Looking back to the crowd for Rachel but she was gone.

"Yes sir?" I asked shifting towards him after I told Grover to wait outside.

He continued to stare at me with those intense brown eyes, they seemed thousands of years old at that moment. His gaze softened.

"You must learn the answer to my question," he told me.

"About the Titans? Sir-"

"About real life and how your studies apply to it."

"Oh," my voice distant and strained.

"What you learn," he said, "is vitally important. I expect you treat it as such, no matter the subject. Life can surprise you."

I felt angry, here this guy I've never met before in my life who didn't even know me was pushing me to become the impossible. A man who didn't know my life telling me not just to do as good but better. I heard a small voice whispering in the back of my mind about how he only wanted me to do well. But I was angry because I already knew life can surprise you, I have dyslexia and yet forced in English AP. I have a dad that doesn't want me around and forced to live a living hell in a school I don't like without any friends. Well maybe a friend, thinking of Grover calmed me down a bit. But he was only one verse over three hundred, it wasn't like I had a stock pile of allies.

I mumbled something about trying harder while he told me to go eat. I left him alone in the empty gallery. Looking over my shoulder I saw him stare up at the steel, the image made me stop. He had such a sad look on his face with a small almost nonexistent smile on his face like he wanted to reach out and touch the marble column.

Outside everyone was eating out on the steps of the museum, where Grover sat watching the traffic every once in a while looking at the sky.

Overhead was the black and ominous clouds that were stationary over the city. A storm was brewing, weather started to really get weird recently or maybe it was just now looking at it I noticed. Weather all over the world was wacking out with more storms and hurricanes acting up at what seemed random. I heard from one guy that all the islands where worried about becoming Atlantis with more and more tsunamis and hurricanes breaking away from their seasonal schedule. But no one but I and Grover seem to notice.

It was pretty obvious to where Yancy Academy started and where it ended. The mass of teen's separated them into a crescent shape to avoid the Yancy students and their havocking ways. Some of the dudes were pelting the pigeons with their left over meals while others pranked unsuspecting victims, I wouldn't doubt that Sloan wasn't among them. I saw Nancy pick pocketing some ladies purse. The chaperones looked at each other wanting to say something but with Mrs. Dodds, it was clear that students weren't the only ones scared of her and she was making a point as usual not to see a thing.

When Grover saw me it took one look and we had the same thought. I helped Grover get up and down the steps as we snuck over and away from the Yancy perimeter. I was hesitant to go near the fountain but it seemed to be the only uncrowned area. My back felt good against the cold wall of the fountain the only down side was getting blobs of slimy gum on my jacket that wasn't so good while Grover sat on the fountain. Controlling my urge to gag, Grover pulled me so we both were sitting on the fountain ledge. We both came to the conclusion that if we acted like we weren't from the same school and far enough away people wouldn't associate that we came from that school-loser kids who had nowhere else to go.

"He was okay right?" Grover asked. "Didn't give you a hard time?"

It didn't take a genius to know he was talking about the teacher. I shook my head, "Nah, he's okay just a bit up tight."

Grover nodded lost in his own train of thought. We let silence take over for a while as I thought he was going to give me some deep comment on the nature of teachers or something instead was, "You goanna eat that?" before pointing at my apple.

Smiling almost to myself I nodded saying I didn't feel hungry as I pealed a supper sticky piece of gum off my shoulder. I watched the yellow taxi pass and was tempted to jump in one and head it Mrs. Jackson's place. I missed her and hadn't seen her since Christmas. She wasn't my real mother even though lots of people mistake so, but she might as well been. I discovered Sweet on America a candy store in Grand Central Station where she worked when I was twelve and we've inseparable since. I felt the tin can where her remaining blue chocolate chip Christmas cookies resided. I wanted to see her so bad; I wanted to jump in a cab and see her and never leave. She'd be happy too but she'd be disappointed too, she cared more than my dad about my education. Mrs. Jackson acted like she was my real mother; she wrote me letters and came to my school events. However since last year she married a teacher from another school, Paul Blofits, which made things just a bit awkward. So I couldn't stay around as much as I like though Sally wouldn't mind.

Thinking about Sally and her amazing cooking I managed to get my appetite back, I unwrapped my sandwich when Nancy appeared with her boyfriend and friends and her half eaten sandwich was dumped in Grover's lap. I guess she got bored but that didn't matter I stood up but Sloan pushed me back with Grover trying to calm me down.

Now let me tell you about this terrible duo. Nancy Bobfit was this red head kleptomaniac with a taste for peanut butter and ketchup sandwiches. She had orange freckles that looked as if they were spray painted with liquid Cheetos and crooked stained teeth. Now I had nothing against girls or red heads, in fact Rachel is a red head with freckles but she could actually pull it off with extra to spare. Nancy on the other hand, not so much. Meanwhile Sloan was small and more on the weak side but acted anything but. He had pit bull eyes, and shaggy black greasy hair, and wore expensive sloppy clothes as if-but failing-to show that he didn't care that his dad was business billion heirs extraordinaire. He thought he was a real rebel with his chip tooth to prove he took his dad's sixty thousand Porsche for a joy ride into a _PLEAS SLOW DOWN FOR CHILDREN_ sign. I had a feeling if Sloan could read, it might have helped. Anyways, ever since they hooked up they've ruled an iron fist. With Nancy either playing teacher's pet or the boogey man and Sloan's daddy hot shot waving his money around it's just been trouble for us. And when I mean us I mean me.

Grover was looking between me and his Latin teacher who was about a mile deep in a book under what looked like a motorized cafe.

_"Oops."_ She grinned pushing the envelope knowing I couldn't raise a finger without getting in trouble. But all I was thinking was how I was going to be saying _"Oops"_ pretty soon too...

I could hear Grover but couldn't actually hear him, you know, it was all just an incoherent noise. I've been to the counselor plenty of times to try and calm myself by counting to ten. I managed to get to eight before calming down. Sloan smirked; my gaze was focused on Sloan, dreaming about punching his lights out. Slowly I started to eat my sandwich when Nancy snatched my bag and actually started to go through it. Then to my horror she found my tin can, the same tin can which held Sally's cookies. My mind blanked and there was a roar in my ears.

I remember standing up but I don't ever remembering touching Nancy or Sloan. The next thing I knew I was standing between Nancy who was soaking in the fountain and Sloan who was knocked out and...wet?

Then it started to rain, it all happened so fast I didn't even remember how it happened but Mrs. Kerr a strangely and slightly scary perky women ran over and started to pull me to the busses and shoved me inside. She then started to lecture me on how it was inappropriate it was for me to harm a lady, I shivered at the thought again as people started to refer Nancy as a _"lady"_. Seeing me shiver must've lighten her up because she then told me I could stay here for the rest of the trip and head out to help the other chaperones to heard the mass of screaming teens. I saw Mrs. Dodds fishing Nancy out of the fountain and cooing her about getting her a new shirt and dragging Sloan to another Yancy buss. Grover in the meantime was struggling to shove all my stuff in my backpack in the heavy down pour. I felt bad as my friend struggled; it was just my luck for getting in trouble. He managed to give me my stuff back, soaking, but otherwise still there and in tacked. Grover then joined the rest of the mass inside. But it appeared he wasn't the last person to leave.

I felt a huge lump in my throat as it tried to strangle me and my heart plummet into the deep bowels of my stomach. Standing just in reach of the down pour was Rachel. She was dressed in a navy blue sweater vest over a bleached white blouse and a matching navy blue skirt that I knew was killing her. Her red hair was darker and plastered against her indecipherable freckled face from the rain. But her green eyes were set on me. It killed me inside. I hadn't seen her since the beginning of the year and this was the last way I wanted her to see me as. Those all seeing green eyes finally shifted from me to the sky as if looking for answers, a blond girl who wasn't wearing her school uniform but a T-shirt and jeans pulled on her arm, taking her inside.

Turning from the window I slammed against the seat. I was alone with nothing but the pitter patter of the rain pounding on the roof to keep me company. _"Stupid, stupid, stupid,"_ I chanted to no one in particular. Nothing could go right, ever with me. Sighing, I pulled out my IPod and headphones and turned on the music. I sat like that for a long time in my soaking clothes and hair, watching the rain slam against the window. After a while I finally managed close my eyes and get some rest.

Looking back on the incident, I wish I could be back on that bus trying to get Rachel's face out of my head. Because what I say next will be the cliché line, _"my life will never be the same,"_ too bad it was right.

* * *

This should be much better

-LunnarChildXD


	2. I got Attacked by a Poodle

Chapter 2, I got Attacked by a Poodle

I tapped the door of the locker room with my head. Sloan and Nancy never let me forget what I did and my punishment from Mrs. Dodds just didn't seem to _just_ do it anymore. I mean, the minute I got back Mrs. Dodds hauled me off to clean the boy's bathroom, and do you understand how disgusting the boy's bathroom really is? I will forever be mentally scarred.

However apparently cleaning a toilet face close to an area where most guys miss the target was not torture enough. Instead they had to go out of their busy schedule to pumble me every chance they got and in most cases they made chances. In the past few weeks, they've beaten me black and blue in Dodge ball, got me to speak in the middle of Mrs. Dodds class causing a month of gum patrol, and played grand theft auto with the Principal's clunker and placed the blame on me. And of course they got off Scott free. But that's okay because I can handle them, what wasn't okay was picking on Grover who turned into my new best friend. If things were this easy I should play hero more often. Today I managed to fend them off with a metaphorical stick. They started to leave bashing my ex I got so angry that I might have yelled "Well at least I don't have to worry about her cheating me with herself!

Not my best work, but hey it was the truth. The only person that loved Nancy or Sloan more than anyone was themselves. And in my blinding stupidness I got an unwanted effect as Sloan chased me down the halls with a murderous glint in his eyes. The only reason I managed to get a way was Grover tripped Sloan with his crutch, sending Sloan a face plant into the garbage can.

And that was how I managed to hide in boy's locker room. I felt my heart racing a mile a minute as I tried to catch my breath. I leaned against the door listening for Sloan, Nancy and their cronies. For a while I heard the students shuffling by and then the bell ring and knew I wasn't going to be in Mrs. Dodds room anytime soon, _"oops?"_ Then came the muffled, "...is he! Find HIM!" He sounded mad but I wasn't going to stick around to find out.

I pushed off the door head for the back door that lead to the pool. I shivered at the large body of water but brushed it off. I had bigger worries than deep liquids like if Sloan caught me here...I shook my head free of the frightening thought. I ran around the pool my eyes glued on it, its surface was still and looked like solid glass as if I could put one foot on it and suddenly be able to walk on water. A smile form at the thought but I struggled to focus my gaze on the pool exit into the school. I reached out my hand ready to push it open when it opened itself. I skidded to a halt as Sloan's ugly head popped out of the door. A crude smile appeared as his black eyes saw me.

Twisting my body I headed for the boy's locker room again. The doors slammed open as I flew through. I could hear the slow _tap, tap, tap_ of his feet somehow over my heart pounding in my ears. It was common sense that I could beat up Sloan without a problem it was another when he had six other big guys with him. I made a sharp turn to the exit and stopped dead in my tracks. Two big Sloan goons stood in the way and both a crooked smile. I turned around and saw Sloan walk towards me and hope rose in my chest but even that faded as two more of his cronies stop behind them.  
If I could only...I thought as I started to run past Sloan and dodging the first goon but was stopped and then slammed by the second. I was on the tile floor shaking the stars from my eyes. I groaned as they laughed, I suddenly felt grubby hands pull at my collar and start to drag me. For a second I thought they were going to throw me in the pool, which would have been a good thing. Once I saw where my destination was my eyes widen and I started to struggle with all my might. I felt something like a rock hit me in the face, the impact had my brains scrambling and my vision was dark. I started to throw punches everywhere I heard laughing, unfortunately that was everywhere. However I did managed to land one then was repaid with a soccer kick to the gut. That one fluid kick forced all the air in my lungs leaving me weak and oxygen deprived. With my fuzzy vision I saw the lights on the ceiling and the dark outline of his goons. I heard the long squeal of the stall opening in protest (great even the restroom pitied me) but it was the stench of it that brought me to my senses. I never thought in my entire life that I would be so happy for horribly disgusting and suffocating odor of a boy's toilet.

Sloan or somebody turned me over so I was facing the toilet bowl. My eyes widen to what felt like saucers and I planted my hands on the seats. _I was not going in_, my arms screamed in agony as Sloan pushed with all his might. _I will not go in_, I felt more pressure but I held back. My arms ached as I found myself lowering to the bowl in my face bubble. I was going to be swirlied by Sloan, in the Yancy Academy Boys Locker room at sixteen. Well fifteen and a few, but that didn't matter my pride was a stake! I took one more look at the scummy water and I shut my eyes telling myself _"I will not go into that. I __**won't**__,"_I felt a jerk in my stomach and the pipes started to rumble.

Just like before I don't really remember how or what happened all I knew it just did. The toilet acted up and started spraying. I felt the hand on my neck loosen and finally disappear and I took my chance. I ran to the exit to the pool and as I ran through the door way I looked over my shoulder and saw Sloan on his but with his hands trying to the stop the high pressure toilet spray. As his friends tried to help him a few more toilets got their revenge and hosed them at full blast. The next thing I know I was outside the POOL door leaning against the lockers. Shakily looking at my hands, I felt the pull in my gut lessen to a stop as the bell rang.

I pealed myself off the lockers and ran through the now thick crowd. I passed faces and people I didn't know. I felt like I was suffocating, I ran into some guy with dark hair and olive skin and mumbled a sorry as I pasted him. I turned at the corner and saw the glowing doors and ran for it. I didn't even stop, instead I ran from the building straight into the woods. Right now I wanted to be left alone where Sloan and Nancy and their goons or teachers could find me.

Somewhere in the woods I leaned against a pine tree. My legs gave out beneath me as I attempted to control my heart and breathing. What just happened? What the hell was that? I ran a hand through my already messy hair. Everything's fine now, everything's fine, I kept telling myself. Sloan wasn't going to ever let this go, thing were only going to get worse. Groaning I placed my head between my hands as if trying to drown out the world.

While I wallowed in myself pity and confusion I failed to hear a nearby bush start to shake. It took me a few minutes but I noticed in the corner of my eye I saw the bush rattling. I shot to my feet prepared to run away or towards. For a minute I thought it was Sloan that was about to pop out of the bushes then my thoughts drifted to Grover and I took a step forward. I jumped as a large black poodle stepped out.

I sighed as the tension relaxed my shoulders and knelt on one knee. While balancing my left arm to support my weight, I leaned on my knee and used my right to reach out palm up to the dog. It looked like a stray with its thick curly coat was dull and leaves and sticks clinging to its sides and head. Its coal eyes focused on me and lowered its head. "Come on boy, I'm not going to hurt you," I whispered in a hushed tone.

Yea I meant it, but that didn't mean he did. It took one sniff before hunching it shoulders and pealed its lip back to show its pearly whites. A deep throaty growl erupted the silence between us. I jumped at the sound and shook my head at my behavior. Now as I look back at it I have no idea why I ignored that small voice telling me _"don't be stupid, get up and walk away,"_ over and over again. Maybe it was just my teen conscience persuading me or something but as usual pretended it didn't exist. Whatever the reason I kept my hand there, one of the stupidest decisions I ever made in an ever growing list of stupid ideas.

The poodle's eyes flashed to me then my hand as one last effort to persuade me otherwise. Then it attacked; now this isn't your cute-fluffy-puppy-attacks-the-mail-man but rather something more or less _rapid-wolf-out-to-rip-your-head-off kind_. It threw its head to the side where my hand was and snapped its jaws before lunging at me jaws wide open full of dagger sized K-9s. Now in that moment the poodle seemed different, larger or something, but I didn't want my head ripped off in the moment so I shot up and started to run. I don't know how far I got before I felt one heavy mass with hunting knives in my back. _"Aaaug!"_ I screamed. It was gone in an instant but the damage was done as I stumbled and fell. A fire burned in the middle of my back as I tried to roll over so I could actually face the dog. What I saw could hardly be described as a dog though; it was about the size of a horse with jaws the size of boom box. In a flash I saw its burning eyes and I really mean burning as in I saw fire dance in its eyes. I didn't stare at it too long as I looked wildly for something to fight back with.

I saw a long thick stick just out of reach. But the..._thing_ saw it and knocked it away. It took a swipe at me with its dinner plate size paws; I rolled to one side just missing it. I could hear the "swoosh" as it just missed my head. I rolled to the opposite side as it thrust its head forward. On my side I saw rock roughly the size of my fist. I grabbed it and rammed it into its fiery eye. It reared back using its huge paws to try and remove the rock now lodged in its eye. I didn't waste my chance and ran off, I started to develop an ache in my side but I hardly noticed since there was a dog the size of a _HORSE_ out to get me!

The...thing was pissed now, before it might have been annoyed but now it was pissed. I glanced out over my shoulder just in time for it come leaping from the shadows of the forest. In shock I tripped over rock, what was this, a cheesy horror movie? I shook my head and I saw a pen in front of me, I shook my head again and you would never believe what I saw. Well I guess you could, since a giant rapid mutated poodle was chasing me, but where the pen had fell was a glowing gold sword. I felt my jaw hit the forest floor, _no way_. I didn't question it for long as the poodle turned and lunged. I did the only thing natural; I grabbed the sword and jumped. It took me a minute to realize I was on the back of poodle with sword in hand, _how did I…?_ I looked down and saw its head trying to turn at me and bite me in half; I took the sword and brought it down blade first into its head.

The next thing I know I was staring at the canopy of the trees with the blue sky streaming through it. I sat up holding my head. I was covered in dust and then heard the bushes rustle. I was running before I knew it and I didn't make the same mistake twice the only thing I didn't see coming was Grover.

As soon as I tackled him we were sent tumbling. We sat up groaning, Grover's crutches were strewn about and I went for them. Wasting no time I hauled Grover to his feet. He looked a little wild with leaves in his curly brown head and a smudge of dirt on his face but if he looked a little wild I must've looked crazy. His brown eyes widen at me as I tried to rush him as his mouth gaped, "Percy...Percy what happened?"

"What happened? What Happened?! I'll tell you what happened but I don't even believe it myself!" I yelled pacing back and forth. _We should be running_, "Percy calm down!"

I turned at him like he was the crazy one, "I just got attacked by a _poodle_, and I am calm!"  
He mouthed the world "poodle" but that didn't last long as there was a 'AWOOOOOH!" echoed by three other howls. Great, it had friends, Grover turned pail and started to shuffle away with his crutches while pulling on my arm. "We gotta go!"

_Well duh_! I was in a half sprint as Grover "ran" looking over my shoulder every five seconds expecting that thing plus more to come bounding out of the shadows. I heard mumbling from Grover like, _"no, no, not now. Why does this always happen."_ I stopped him with my arm. He turned at me like I was crazy but maybe I was, the look on his face was one that he seemed to know well.

"Percy we can't stop, I have to get you to camp." His face was pail but determined and I knew he was scared but right now he was acting like he was protecting _me_.

"What's going on? Grover!" We heard more howls from Fido's angry friends. Grover looked at me pulling with his arm but I wouldn't budge and repeated my question and he snapped. "Percy, you're a demigod I'll explain all of this later but right now you need to go with me."

I didn't move, "I'm not going anywhere with you." I've never seen Grover angry but in the light I caught something in his eyes. But it wasn't just the light, but I wish it was, his brown eyes where slits and poking out of his curly head was one inch horns like on a goat. My friend wasn't human and I couldn't take much more of any of this. The dog, the pipes, my friend...He took a step towards me saying my name and I backed away. My friend had horns, my friend wasn't human..."Stay away from me freak," that last part just slipped out.

Grover's eyes popped out of his head like I slapped him (which might have been better considering a well, you know, a fr-frea…you know). Though as soon as I said it and guilt lurched in the pit of my stomach, I might as well have. I couldn't stay so I ran; I heard howls and I just ran harder. I didn't stop running, not when my legs ached and burned, not when my lungs felt as though they were about to burst, I didn't stop running when I burst out of the forest, and I didn't stop till I got to the steps of Yancy Academy. For maybe the millionth time that day alone I was never so thankful to see this place. I drop like a rock once I made it through the doors huffing. I felt so tired and my eye lids felt heavy. The last thing I remember was the bell ringing, had I been gone that long? And then a girl screaming and just before I blacked out I saw Grover's pained face.

_"...Percy."_

I shot up looking wildly around trying to grasp where I was. I heard someone gasp and turned to see a woman dressed in white and regretted it. A shearing pain erupted from my back it nearly blinded me as I saw stars. I felt small cold hands touch my shoulder as a cup of cold water, or at least I thought it was water, pressed to my lips. The pain eased after a while, there must've been medical in it or something. In the corner of my eye I was a teenager with yellow curls biting an apple with bold black block letters underneath saying AN APPLE A DAY KEEPS THE DOCTORS AWAY. _Doctors…?_ It dawned on me, I was in the Nurses.

I wasn't wearing my t-shirt but a white bandage that wrapped around my chest. I touched it and remembered the dog. It attacked me, and then... it was fuzzy. Like static, I remember a black dog but what I remember was hard because I remember something that was and wasn't a dog. It was big and black and that's about as much as I remembered. _Funny.._. I strained my brain to remember what happened, I ran out of Yancy, the dog found me and attacked and then something happened and I escaped. Then_..."Grover!"_ I whispered.

The nurse woman was pretty strong as she pushed me back as I tried to get up. She yelled over her petite shoulder for help. I had to find Grover; I had to tell him_..."Percy, sit down..."_ I heard the woman ask in a half trembling voice. I ignored her as I saw the councilor run in and push me down back on the bed.

"Where's Grover? I need to find him; I need to tell him I'm sorry..." I said as we struggled, "Where's Grover, is he okay? I need to see him..."

"Percy calm down," the councilor asked in his gruff voice. Then the nurse said, "Percy you need to be laying down, you could open your stiches."

After a few minutes I gave up and sat down but that was as far as I was willing to go. The councilor looked at the nurse who's name tag was Ms. Fizt, she nodded, I noticed that her ash blond hair that was once in a perfect tight bun now was sagging with a few loose strands. The councilor left reluctantly and looked at me before disappearing behind the door like a rabid dog that just tried to bite him. Ms. Fizt looked at me with compliant smile and pity in her eyes. She wore a white lab coat over a dark blue blouse and a tan business skirt.

"Is Grover okay?" I asked Ms. Fizt brows scrunched together as if I was speaking a different language. "Where's he?"

"Who?" the confusion could be heard in her voice as you could see fog.

"Grover, Grover Underwood, my be-…friend." I put my head in my hands, "I was such a dick, he tried helping me and I went and bit his head off. I need to apologize to him."

"Percy listen to me," I looked up to see a concerned adult, "There is no Grover. As far as I know there's never been a Grover Underwood at Yancy Academy..."


	3. My Ex Gives Me a Gift

I do not own Percy Jackson

A/N: Um okay your just gonna keep reading with Dorrys song, "Just keep reading, just keep reading, reading, reading, reading..." Because things have to get worse before they get better.

Pleas review because i'd like to hear if you like it so far or not. I'm trying to become a better writer.

* * *

**Chapter 3, My Ex gives me a Present**

"There is no Grover Underwood..." she said and as much as I wanted to denied it, it was true. We looked through acdemic records, a list of every student, and asked every teacher. I wanted to look up Grover's old Latin teacher but I realized that I didn't even know his name or what school he previously went to. Ms. Fizt even took the liberty to ask Mr. Sero, the guidince counselor to search the entire district for a _Grover Underwood_. But it was like he just vanished. No, if he dissapeared there would still be evidince of his existince but it was like he never did.

Mr. Sero sat me down after we tried everything and explained that I could have had a mild case of Post Tramatic Stress Dissorder. After a few days when most of my wounds where healed and he started to question me. I told him I met him in History when I forgot my pen, that we always sat together at lunch, we talked how much we didn't like Mrs. Dodds, and I knew that Grover could play music. Then Mr. Sero asked me tough questions about "Grover", like "do you know what his favorite history subject?" I answered after racking my brain, "Greek." Then he moved on to if we sat with anyone else and I said no, he asked "did you ever talk about anything else," I thought about it and didn't say anything because we then would move on to Nancy or Sloan. When he asked me what instrument, I told him I didn't know, he asked me other questions like "do you know if he had a girlfriend?" or "what was his favorite color?" and "do you know any names of his family members?"

The last one I answered, "Uh, I think he had an uncle named Ferdinand." Otherwise it was always a "I don't know" or a simple no.

At last he told me that the rational human mind is a strange and still mysterious frontier. The mind will do the strangest things to protect it's self, and with my history with my parents, Sloan, Nancy and my school troubles, this could be very possible. My conscious mind couldn't handle cold reality as the troubles persuded me and thus created an outlite. My subconscious mind created _Grover_, a complete opposite of me, where I could become a "hero". Basicly he told me to my face that my life was so suckish that I had to create an imaginary friend to deal with life. The only reason I now know this was because the dog had to make me snap out of this dream state I was in.

It was a long while before either of us talked. He asked me if I was okay. I looked up at him with a small reassuring smile and told him yes. Okay, I admit I was lieing through my teeth, but the last thing I wanted was being locked up in the nut house. I thanked him and asked if I could be excused, he nodded telling me I could come by to talk anytime. I forced my self to smile as I looked at him. Pride was beeming from his face as he thought he helped someone. Maybe he did and I just didn't wan't to say it.

Ms. Fizt escorted me to my dorm and told me I had the rest of the week to rest up and I could join class if I felt up to it on monday. I thanked her but I really wanted to be left alone. I looked at the ceiling thinking, I know me? Thinking? But it was all I could do at the moment...think.

Sure the pipes was weird but I could deal with that, i've gotten over weird stuff like that because it was over fast. But this, this 24/7 hallucination was defeintlly more than I could handle. I knew who Grover was, he was this low-self esteamed senoir with a whispy beard on his chin and had brown curly hair and was just getting over his acne and was just a bit shorter than I was. He loved enchalitas and applies and cried when he was frustrated and he was a total tree hugger. Grover was the only thing that kept me sane and out of trouble and maybe that's why I was so insistint to beleive he was real.

For the rest of the year, the entire campus seemed to be playing some kind of trick on me. Every so often i'd find my self forgetting Grover and what he looked like. I would turn to someone commenting on a class or a game I saw on the weekends getting them engrossed in a conversation then slip a Grover reference, just to see if I could trip them up, but they'd only stare at me like I was a psycho. I would wait or watch "our" table and wait just to see if Grover would suddenly appear and act as if nothing ever happened. Sometimes I would watch the doors leading into the cafeteria to see if Grover would burst through with vines and leaves and sticks hanging off him as he ran to get his victory enchiladas. I smiled at the thought, who knows maybe I was a psycho.

The weather started to reflect the mood I was in, once a stom got so bad it blew out the windows in my room. I didn't get much sleep at night as I would dream about that dog that attacked me. Some nights it was just a dog, others it was diffrent than any dog i'd ever seen with huge jaws that looked like it could bend steel and teeth that where hunting knifes and was the size of rinho with it's feiry eyes trained on me, would wake me in a cold sweat. I started to feel cranky and irritible most of the time. My grades slipped to D's and the only good thing came out of all this was Sloan left me alone most of the time, but watched me with his black beady pitbull eyes. But even with Sloan lacked in the moment was made up with my fights with Nancy. Beating on a girl didn't give me any satsfaction and I hated it but Nancy can be so, so..._"People are defined by action's and actions can be controlled. So don't let her control you..."_ it would be something that Grover would say to calm me down. Normilly thinking of my..._friend_, would give me some control but it only made me frustrated. I could never come up with something like that, not with out busting a few brain cells I don't have, so where could I have learned such a deep comment like that? Mr. Sero said that I could have absorbed something or read something to influnce Grover in a way. I wasn't a big reader due to my dyslexia, words would just float off the page and do one-eighties like they were on skate boards but it did seem possible that I got it from one of those sappy commercials.

But...there's that nice but. Yet, Grover just seemed to real, too Grover to be something of my imagination. A lingering feeling of something I was missing.

And it was that lingering feeling that there _was_ a Grover Underwood that made it all the more frustrating. Soon I was sent out to the hall in every class. It didn't surprize me when my science teacher Mr. Nicoll, asked me for the millionth time why I was too lazy to study for the science exam, I snapped. Even steel, the strongest metal known to man, at a certain pressure will cause it to break and I was no exception on any level. I turned to him and called him an old sot. I had no clue what it mean't or where I heard it from, but I didn't care because it sounded good.

The Headmaster made it official that I would not be returning at all, under any circumstances, to Yancy Ademy as he sent the letter to my father.

Fine, I told my self, it finally gives me an excuse to come home...

I wanted to go home to my dad, I didn't care if i had to deal with my mom who I haven't seen since the sixth grade and go to public school and my stup-...and my what?

I shook my head, these late nights where getting to me. There where things that I was going to miss about Yancy Acdemy. The veiw of the woods out my dorm window wasn't too shabby, the Hudson River in the distace was okay, and the smell of the pine trees defientlly got me through my eighth grade year when I was roomed with Stinky Fart Bart. I smiled at the memory.

As Finals approched I tried studying in the libary with Grovers Litan Teacher that may or may not exist and what he said, _"What you learn...is vitally important. I expect you treat it as such, no matter the subject. Life can surpise you."_ If he was a figment of my imagination then it was still good advise. After about an hour of trying to attempt to study I shut the physics book. Even with the book closed, the letters the words where still floating off the page and doing three-sixties around my head. I got up and put my books on the cart and was about to leave when, I can't beleive i'm saying this, a _book_ caught my eye. In big gold letters on the side was GREEK MYTHOLOGY, though to me it looked like DREEK WHLHOIODY. I pulled out the book looking over my shoulder and paged through it. Most of it was words and lots of them. I flipped through the pages reconizing a lot of the gods and godess in the pictures from the field trip but stopped on one page.

It was a guy that looked like human from the waste up and the waist below was the lower part of a goat, hopping on one foot, er, hoof. He was playing what looked like pipes from Peter Pan. The man/goat/sheep thing had thick curly hair just like Grover and even had a whispy beard on his chin just like Grover... a sense of dread came over me. The field trip, I must've saw a statue or a picture of a..._SAYTR_ it said, a saytr and came up with Grover.

I snapped the book shut and earned a few "shush!" from a few people but I ignored them. Grover was nothing but a figment of my imagination, I rubbed the back of my neck. I wanted to beleive Grover was in fact a real person but everything started to make such horrible sense. Guilt formed in my stomach like rust, but how do you feel guilty about something that dosen't exist.

Finals came and went and with it a horrible grade. As the school year drew to a close more and more students got excited for the summer. It kept building and building till you could actually see it thick in the air. On the last day of the term I was outside sitting in the stands as the basket ball team played one more game before they went their seprate ways for the summer. A small group of girls watched as they gossiped, one even pointed to one of the guys and they started to squel and a friend of hers pushed her hand down. One of the team mates noticed them and flashed them a smile before shooting a hoop, the girls squeeled even harder.

A group of boys below me was hanging out and laughing. I felt like I swollowed lead as envy grew in my stomach, I got up and started to use the bleachers as steps. "Clang, clang, clang," I managed to hear what they where talking about as I passed.

"Guess who's going to go hiking in Switzerland," one boy asked.

"Ya, well while your freezing your but off in the mountians, guess who's getting a nice even tan in the Caribbean," the boys started to get loud with their laughter. "_For a month_," they were now as loud as the girls.

I rolled my eyes as I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Hey," one called, "Hey, Percy right?"

Looking over my shoulder, one guy with a friendly smile asked me what I was doing for the summer I replyed with, "I'm going back to the city with my dad."

"Oh," his smile seemed now just a little fake, "That's cool." Then turned back to his friends like I never existed, just like Grover.

I didn't know what I felt, sad, dissapointed maybe a bit happy? It was all confusing, like somebody opened me and just stuffed what ever they could inside, shut the hatch and shook me up to see if i'll blow up. I wouldn't be surprised if I did. Walking back to my dorm to finish cleaning out my room I never left so alone. In the halls some girls were crying and hugging. Couples kissed each other goodbye and told their others that they'd call every day. Some students hugged their favorite teacher and thanking them for the year. There was a heavy weight I felt inside, I had no one to say good bye to, no girlfriend to kiss, no teacher I liked to say thanks; I was alone. I walked into my room pushing open the door, I grabbed a bunch of stuff from my desk putting it in a plastic bag. "Ahem?" When I turned around she was the last person I expected to say my goodbye to.

"Rachel?" in my defence I did not squeek, men do not _squeek_.

She sat criss cross on my bed with her arms resting on her paint splattered jeans. She had on a lime green tank that had some stains on it as well. Her favorite dark green jacket was thrown aside and her convers seemed to me kicked off leaving her in her socks. Rachels copper red hair was tossed into a sloppy bun and her green eyes focused on me with a emotion I couldn't place. As you could see she wasn't much for being neat, one of the many favorite things I lo-, liked about her.

For a long time neither of us said anything but a cough here and there. I just couldn't stop staring at her, she just seemed so diffrent. Something about her changed, something I couldn't put my finger on.

"So...", her voice trailed off. I replyed with my own, "so..."

The akward silence continued. Her green eyes flickered to me then her hands which to her, seemed more intresting. Or less akward. She was nervous, a feeling a _"oohh_," dawned on me. She was nervous,_ Rachel_ was nervous, thats never good thing.

"What are you doing here?" I asked purely curious.

She gave me one of her smile that made my knees weak, "what a girl has to have a reason to see a friend."

"Well we haven't seen each other since we broke up," she tossed her head ever so slightly, she was agreeing me. "At the begining of the year. Like the first day you got back-"

She sighed throwing her hands up in surrender, "okay, okay I know we left things a bit..."

"Chaotic," I suggested.

"Confusing," her hands clasped together like a gun and pointed at me in a fluid movement, "and i've been meaning to talk with you about that it just...huh"

"Ya, I noticed that was your top priority," I muttered in sarcasim.

"What is your problem, Percy?"

"What's my problem? Your the one that came out of the blue, _one summer," _I emphasized, "after we got together and broke it off with no reason at all."

"Why can't you just let that go?" There was pain in her eyes.

"Well since you broke up with me, I think that I deserve an at_ least_ an explanation," I tried to ignor the desperation in my voice. "You didn't even let me try to fix things."

"Percy it wasn't you it was me," I rolled my eyes, "I am...I've...I just, huh, i'm just in situation where I can't be in a relationship."

There was another long lasp in silence, she looked over to her coat. She reached out with one hand and grabbed it slowly so as if it wouldn't bite her. Out of her coat poket was a envelope of papers in a rubberband. She looked at it frowning, rubbing her thumb against the white paper. She then shot to her feet causing me to take an involuntary step back. She was definatlly diffrent, she looked older, and something I couldn't place. All I did know she wasn't that same girl I like last year that could talk anything art all year long.

"Here," she held out the papers.

"What is it?" I asked looking between her and the papers.

"They're tickets and reservations."

"For what and to where?" Now growing suspicious of the papers.

"They're train tickets to a resort on the west coast."

"Why?"

"Why do you have to keep asking?" There was that slight annoyance creeping into her voice.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Common sense? Now wh-"

"_Snake Charmer_, Princess says we need to go." A husky voice snapped put side. I turned to the door where I had to do a dubble take to make sure it was a _she_. She was about seventeen or eighteen, she wore an XXXXL orange t-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She was big but not fat, i'm pretty sure that it was all muscle. She reminded me of a bigger and meaner Nancy Bobofit, who had long stringy brown hair instead of red, tied back into a pony tail with a green bandana covering the top of her head.

"Clarisse, okay can you give me a mintue."

Clarisse rolled her eyes, I suddenly found my voice, "Hey, knock much?"

Those beady eyes of her narrowed in on me. Her jaw started to grind as she knocked three hard times against the door, "I knocked happy?"

"Clarisse!" I heard Rachel hiss.

Clariess left relucantlly, I turned to Rachel who now looked very worried. She shoved the tickets and reservations in my hand. "Pleas take them, things came up and I couldn't use them."

"What's wrong," I shoved the tickets to Rachel.

"Nothings wrong," she shoved the papers my way again, "I knew you where heading back into the city and I thought you could use a change in scenery."

"This is a bribe isn't it?" I pushed the papers away.

"I'm here to play peace maker," she pushed the envelope my way, "It's a gift."

"It's a bribe."

"It's a gift," the envelope was shoved into my hands, again. "I couldn't leave things the way they were."

"Your bribing me," the envelope fell from the air.

"It's an apologetic gift," her green eyes tearing up, "Why can't you accept that?"

"Clariess what are we still doing here? We need to go?" A femine voice asked angrily outside. There was more yelling. Rachel grabbed her coat and ran from the room and into the hall. I reached and grabbed her by the arm, she didn't even look at me when she said, "Percy let go...just let me go."

I didn't even get to reply when I saw stars. My back screamed in agony as I landed with a painful slam, it was so intense I couldn't breathe. I gasped for breath, I saw shapes as the stars dissapated. People was staring at me, I heard someone ask if I was okay but in the back of the crowd I saw Clariess flash an evil grin. I felt angry, I got up but the pain shot through my back. Someone tried helping me up tugging on my arm. I had to ignor the laceration, I saw a flicker of red turn the conner. As soon I was on my feet I was running. No, I was sprinting, Rachel was here, _here_! And I was letting her slip through my fingers. Something was defiently wrong, I knew Rachel even before we were dating and I knew something was up.

For a minute I thought I lost them but in the conner of my eye I saw a flash of blond hair and my gut told me to follow it. I tripped over luggage, side stepped angry boyfriends and jumped through tearful and emotional moments between teacher and student, all so I could just get to Rachel. I wasn't going to ruin this like I did with Grover...Grover may have been a figment of my imagination but he was still my friend and I said some pretty horrible things. Now that he was gone I couldn't appologize, i'm not making that mistake with Rachel. As I reached the doors, I streached out my arms bacing for impact and screaming, "WAIT!"

All heads turned towards me, including Rachel, her blond friend from the museum, and Clariess with her head sticking out of the cab door. Clariess jaw dropped at the sight of me as if not contemplating how crazy I was acting, the blond was narrowing her eyes at me and Rachel had this small hidden smile tucked at the conner of her face. Like when we were kids and went to the beach just for kicks and I stood on a rock and yelled "RACHEL DARE IS THE GREATEST ARTIST IN THE WORLD!" I turned to look at her and she was bright red from laughing so hard to where she was rolling in the sand. I smiled at the fond memory, she seemed to think as well too. Almost everyone went back to their buisness but a few who watched me half ran and half walked down the steps.

"Rachel," I breathed her name as I tried catching my breath. She shook her head, "It's time to wake up Percy."

Having said that she turned to the cab, pushed Clariess's head in and got in. Blondy followed her example and hopped in shutting the door in my face. I blinked as what was happening, I walked to the cab window and knocked on it several times. The cab started to move and I started to knock a little harder. Finally the cab stopped again. The tinted windows rolled down revealing a very pissed blondy, she then flipped out a...ruler. I stared at the old fashion yellow measuring stick.

"Back. off." Her voice was deadly as her gaze.

I would have taken it seriously if she wasn't threating me with a ruler. "That a ruler. You're threating me with a ruler..."

She rolled her eyes, apparently I wasn't the first victim of the deadly yellow stick, "To beleive Grover actually said..."

Blondy shaking her head rolled up the window and the cab disapeared in a blur. It took me a minute to realize they where gone. There was a soft breeze that tugged on my hair in the direction Rachel left as if the forces of nature was trying to persuade me to follow her. I closed my eyes, Rachel's face with that expression I couldn't place looked back at me. It was sadness, she looked at me as if she knew a cruel fate awaited me and I was just about to fall off the edge. My eyes slowly slid open and stood there waiting for that cab to come back. The world continued to move on as if things never happened. Dogs barked, cabs and cars honked in traffic and people kept move, if they could, why couldn't I?

I shoved my hands in my pocket and walked back to my dorm. My heart was heavy as it seems I couldn't repare things with Rachel...If it wasn't for Clariess and Blondy I might have had a chance._ I couldn't even say I was sorry_, I sighed as I fell on my bed clossing my eyes. Then my eyes snapped opened as I shot up. Blondy said the impossible. She said _Grover_.

* * *

A/N: Bunch of hints on who blondy is. My favorite scene was the ruler one. I got the idea from a fic I read a long time ago when about Bobofit meeting the PJO gang. It was funny because someone (if a told you it would give it away if you haven't figured it out) threatend her with what looked like a ruler through the mist.

Love to hear your comments,

-LunnarChild XD


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